Indian court upholds ban on LTTE

New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) A special tribunal Monday upheld the government’s notification of banning the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for another two years.The notification, declaring the LTTE as an unlawful association, was issued by the union Home Ministry May 15 this year.

Delhi High Court judge Justice Vikramjit Sen, who was heading the special tribunal constituted under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, said there was sufficient evidence against the Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels to justify the extension of ban.

The LTTE is a militant group waging a violent campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s to create a separate Tamil state in the northern and eastern part of the island nation.

The group-led by V. Prabhakaran has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by several countries including the US.

The LTTE was involved in the assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 and the group has been banned by India since 1992.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P.P. Malhotra, while appearing before the tribunal, contended that although the LTTE was based in Sri Lanka, it had sympathisers and agents on the Indian soil and there was urgent need to continue with the ban.